It is time for hard choices on defence policy
Neither the government nor opposition currently offers a credible vision for Britain’s defences, or acknowledges the brutality of the economic choices, writes Max Hastings
Global terror
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The latest news and analysis on the fight against global terrorism plus a special FT investigation into the evolution of the al-Qaeda global terror network
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In depth
UK aims to start Helmand handover next year
Two districts – possibly including provincial capital Lashkar Gah – earmarked for control by local forces in the next eight months
30 dead as Pakistan militants strike again
Urban centres facing escalating terror threat
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Comment & analysis
Diplomacy works, but it cannot defuse every threat
Barack Obama has elevated diplomacy and engagement as vital instruments of American power, recognising that legitimacy counts alongside military muscle. The truth, however, is that it may be impossible to eliminate the most serious threats to international security, says Philip Stephens
The fightback in Afghanistan begins
The Obama administration knows that no progress can be made on any front unless there is first a major improvement in the security situation on the ground
